Bald eagle on mend at Wildlife Inc. following eye injury

An American bald eagle is on the mend at Wildlife Inc. in Bradenton Beach.

BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH - While it’s always a treat to spot an American bald eagle, an observant individual in east Bradenton recognized one of the majestic birds was in trouble and knew just who to call for help.

“This eagle was found in an industrial park out east,” Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Inc. volunteer Krista Carpenter said. “She was on the ground and he could see something was wrong, so he called us.”

The non-profit Wildlife Inc. is an animal rehabilitation center that takes in more than 3,000 animals each year.

The adult female bird - estimated to be around 5 years old - had suffered an injury to her right eye.

“We’re not sure how her injury occurred, but it was pretty bad,” Carpenter said. “She presented with blood in her eye and we’ve been treating her for the past several weeks.”

Carpenter said the eagle has been showing signs of improvement and will be released at a future date.

“She’s a really strong bird,” Carpenter said. “It appears that her vision is improving.”

Carpenter said that removing the eagle from her crate for feedings has become a challenge due to her strength.

“That is a really good sign,” she said.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), bald eagles are not uncommon in Florida.

“Florida has one of the densest con - centrations of nesting bald eagles in the lower 48 states, with an estimated 1,500 nesting pairs,” according to the FWC. “Concentrations of nesting territories are clustered around several significant lake, river and coastal systems throughout the state.”

FWC has monitored the population of nesting bald eagles in Florida since 1972.

The bald eagle was removed from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service endangered species list and the FWC imperiled species list in 2007 and 2008, respectively. The bald eagle continues to be protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, according to the FWC.

“The population of bald eagles continues to do well, both nationally and in Florida,” according to the FWC.